


MiraculousTale

by cloverbrooks



Category: Miraculous Ladybug, Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Miraculous Ladybug AU, Undertale AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-10
Updated: 2017-06-28
Packaged: 2018-10-17 08:12:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10589979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cloverbrooks/pseuds/cloverbrooks
Summary: *~This fills you with Determination~*(Miraculous Ladybug/Undertale AU)---Not-so-long ago, one young girl lived at the base of the looming Mt. Eiffel. Until one day, after an adventure into the woods, she falls down a hole and lands in a swarm of purple butterflies.Marinette has to find her way back to the surface, in whatever way that might be. As she goes on her adventure through this monster-filled world, she meets wonderful friends along the way and each help her to achieve her goal.But what will happen when she is forced to choose between her friends and her home? And what about that weird, pesky purple butterfly...Who is he? And where did he come?





	1. Prologue

##  **Prologue:**

 

Long ago, two races ruled over the Earth: Monsters and Humans.

One day, war broke out between the two races. After a long battle, the Humans were victorious. They sealed the monsters underground, seemingly trapped forever. Legends say that those who climb never return, except for two, very unique, children… 


	2. Welcome to the Underground

_Mt. Eiffel_

_201X_

##  **Chapter 1:**

 

Darkness. It was all around her, swallowing her whole. The sunlight from above was growing smaller and smaller, reaching the size of her fist before she finally hit something.

Marinette groaned in pain, her back throbbing. She closed her eyes as she winced, rubbing the spot that hurt the most. After a moment, she opened her eyes. She expected to see the same darkness she saw before, but no. It wasn’t actually dark. The spot of light above her lit the area around her just enough so she could make out ruins of some sort. She reached up to touch her head but froze when she saw what was on her hand.

It was a purple butterfly. She swatted it away, yelping in surprise, then noticed that she was surrounded by the same purple insects. In fact, they appeared to have broken her fall.

She sighed and looked back up at the small beacon of light she had fallen from. How could she be so clumsy? Why was just walking in the woods be so hard for her?

Well, there was no use in trying to figure out how to get back up there. The walls that lead up to the hole were sheer cliffs with no way to climb. Pulling herself up, Marinette swatted some of the butterflies away as she got to her feet. The butterflies fluttered in irritation but didn’t react in any other way.

Marinette wrapped her arms around herself and glanced around the room. The cave she had fallen into was full of… columns? Were these ruins of some sort? She walked down a long hallway, running her hand along the wall. There were inscriptions, like some sort of hieroglyphic language, but she couldn’t read them. Heck, she barely passed her French class.

There was a door at the far end, the rock carved into intricate swirls. She gazed up it in awe. Had anyone else come here before? If not, their scientists were really missing out on a true marvel.

As she stepped into the next room, she couldn’t help but notice that there were even more purple butterflies fluttering around the room. It was starting to grate on Marinette’s nerves, finding butterflies everywhere. She walked around the edge of the room, taking in the beautiful markings and portraits. How pretty they must have-

“Howdy!”

Marinette screamed, spinning toward the voice. She raised her arms up in defense, ready to attack whoever had spoken. She scanned the area, but only saw purple butterflies fluttering and minding their own business.

“H-hello?” she asked the dim area.

“Over here.”

She turned again, but still saw no one.

The voice sighed. “ _Down_ here.”

She looked down. When she saw the giant purple butterfly a few inches away from her foot, she almost jumped out of her skin. It wasn’t a normal looking butterfly, however. It looked like a small human with wings sprouting out of it’s back. Its hair was midnight black that swept to the side, and two small antennae stuck out like up like weeds in a patch of grass.

“Who are you?!” she exclaimed, flying backward.

The butterfly smiled broadly. “My name is Billy; Billy the butterfly!”

Marinette tilted her head and took a cautious step forward. “You… butterflies can talk?”

Billy scoffed and straightened his purple and black suit. “Of course we can! It’s you humans who never listen to us.”

“O-oh.”

“So, you’re new around here, aren’tcha?”

Marinette rubbed the back of her neck. “Well, I guess you could say that.”

“I can teach you the ropes!” Billy cheered, his face lighting up and his purple eyes sparkling. “It’s not too hard once you get the gist of it!”

“I-I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

“Aw, come on! You wouldn’t want to die down here, now would you?”

Marinette bit her lip nervously, then glanced back at the butterfly. “Well, I… I guess it would be nice to have someone explain some of the simple things.”

“Brilliant!”

BOOM!

Marinette jumped back and cried out in surprise, throwing her arms in front of her face.

“Oh, don’t be scared,” Billy comforted. “They’re just my friendliness pellets.”

Marinette cracked opened her eyes, then gasped. All around her, oblong balls of light spun in circles. They almost looked… pretty. Like stars in the night sky.

“Woah…” she marveled.

“Awesome, huh? Let me show you how they work.” Billy closed his eyes. He dipped his head and the pellets began to spin faster. They closed in on her, and Marinette began to feel a little claustrophobic. She took a step back, only to have one of the spinning lights touch her back. A spark of electricity shocked her and she let out a scream.

“Oh, don’t be fussy,” Billy criticized. He opened his eyes, glaring at her through his furrowed brow. “It will be over soon.”

“W-what-?” Another ‘friendliness pellet’ hit her arm and she cried out as she was shot with another bolt of energy. “B-Billy, what are you doing?”

“There is one rule you need to learn here in the Underground.” His eyes flashed murderously. “It’s kill or be killed!” He spread his arms and started to laugh maniacally. The orbs spun faster and faster, closing in on her.

Marinette shrunk down to the ground, her eyes full of fear and horror. This was how she was going to die, at the hands of an insane half-human, half-butterfly. She would never be able to go home and be with her family ever again. Squeezing her eyes shut and curling into a ball, her whole life flashed before her.

She saw herself as a child, playing at the edge of the village in the trees. Her parents telling her to get away from the woods. It wasn’t safe, they had said. She relived the stories her mother told her at night when she couldn’t sleep - the ones of monsters and humans living together in peace. She saw herself walking to school, playing with kids her age on the playground, then coming home to help her parents. Years of her life flew by, lost in the musty smell of the caves. Regrets filled her mind. She would miss out on her high school prom, her graduation, the rest of her life.

And nobody would know what had happened to her.

“ **_D I E!_ ** ”

SMACK!

The sound of something hitting the wall caused Marinette’s eyes to fly open. The orbs of light burst apart and disappeared around her. She looked over to where the sound had come from. There, on the ground, was Billy. He was moaning and pulling himself up onto his knees. One of his wings looked bent in the wrong direction.

“That’s what you get for hurting an innocent child,” a new voice said, not too far from where Marinette knelt.

Billy coughed and wiped his chin of blood. “You have no right to burst in on my fun!”

Not a moment later, Billy slammed into the wall again. Marinette whipped around to see a figure standing in a doorway. They stepped inside, though Marinette couldn’t see their face, and raised their hand threateningly.

“Leave the child alone,” they said. “She is under my protection now.”

Billy glared at the figure, but pulled himself to his feet, straightened his wing, then took off. Marinette watched as he flew off toward the other butterflies. Swallowing nervously, she turned her head toward the figure who had saved her.

“Are you alright, my dear?” the person asked, coming closer to her. Once they stepped into the light, Marinette sucked in a breath. It was a man, hunched over and appeared to be in his late 60’s, early 70’s. He wore a red cloth draped over a green, long-sleeved shirt and brown khaki shorts. The cloth had a heart on it, with green shapes filling the inside of it, and his feet were protected by a pair of worn sandals. As he shuffled toward her, Marinette realized that he carried a cane. As he held out his hand to help her up, Marinette saw kindness lacing his brown eyes and caring smile. She accepted his hand and stood up.

“I… I think I am.”

The man’s gaze shifted to her arm and his eyebrows furrowed. “Oh dear, it appears as though you’ve been hurt.”

Marinette blinked, then glanced down at her arm. Sure enough, her arm had a patch of blistered skin where Billy’s ‘friendliness pellets’ had touched her. It wasn’t until that moment did Marinette feel the pain of the injury. She lifted a hand to cover the blisters.

“Yeah, but I’ll be alright.” She paused, then hesitantly asked, “Who are you?”

The man gave her a small smile. “I am Master Furiel. And you are?”

“Marinette.”

Master Furiel smiled. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Marinette.” Before he could say more, an odd sound echoed around the room. Marinette froze, her eyes wide with fear, but Master Furiel didn’t even flinch. He just casually glanced back toward the door he had entered through, then back to Marinette.

“It’s dangerous here. We best get a move on before we’re caught in another puzzle.”

Marinette blinked. “What?”

Master Furiel turned and started to walk toward the door. “You’ll learn soon enough, young one. Come, we have to get past the edge of ruins before nightfall.”

She didn’t move at first, confusion filling her thoughts, but one thing was clear enough to her. If Master Furiel could take down Billy with only a swipe of the hand, the safest place to be would be right by his side. After making the split second decision, Marinette jogged to catch up with Master Furiel.

Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.


	3. Traps?!

** Chapter 2: **   
  
  


"Wait, how long have you lived down here?" Marinette asked, trailing behind Master Furiel. He turned and gave her a smug smile.

"What do you mean, child?"

She recoiled for a second. "Um, well, you know... you seem like an older kinda guy and I was wondering if you fell in the same way I did."

He chuckled good-naturedly. "My dear, there is so much you must learn before you can receive answers. Such as navigating puzzles and encountering monsters."

Marinette's shoulders curled. "Monsters like Billy?"

Master Furiel nodded. "He isn't the only one you'll run into down here. There is a reason they call the Underground the realm of monsters. You were told those stories when you were a young child, correct?"

Her eyes widened and she nodded. "Y-yes, my mama would tell me the adventures of Bridgette to me when I couldn't sleep at night."

"Ah, so you know all the old myths. That's wonderful. Over my many years, I've discovered that those stories are the easiest ways to explain this monster-infested world." He stopped at the base of an archway and turned around to face her. "Now, we're about to enter a puzzle. I need you to follow in my exact footsteps or you'll trigger one of the many pressure pads. Understood?"

Marinette's heart pounded against her chest, but she gave him a confident nod. Smiling, he turned around and stepped through the arch. Once he stepped inside, the room lit up with a purple hue. Marinette gasped, taking in the purple pressure pads that filled the entire room. They weren't what she had been expecting. She had been imagining them like a dance game, but it was the exact opposite. The floor was lined with spikes, some so tall that they could have scraped her knee easily.

"Follow me," Master Furiel reminded her before taking an unwavering step onto one of the spikes.

"Wait-" Marinette cried out but stopped when she saw the spikes slip down into the floor as soon as Master Furiel put his foot down. He looked back at her.

"Is something wrong?" he asked like he was casually asking if she had cold soup.

"I... n-no. No, nothing's wrong," Marinette stuttered out. Master Furiel turned back around and continued to walk, zig-zagging back and forth across the room. Marinette realized she had to move before she lost his step pattern. Cautiously sticking her foot out, she stepped down on one of the spikes. A small section of them slid down into the floor without question. Taking another step, Marinette slowly made her way across the room, trying to remember the exact places Master Furiel had stepped.

She was halfway across the room when her guide reached the door on the other side. He turned back to look at her, smiling and resting on his stick-like cane. She was about to take a misstep, but he called out: "To your left, child."

He assisted her every time she was about to make a mistake, which she was both grateful for and miffed about. She was old enough to make her own steps. Then again, to him, she probably was just a lost child.

By the time she had reached the other side, Master Furiel was sitting cross-legged on the floor with his cane laid neatly beside him.

"Congratulations, my child. I am very proud of you."

Marinette scrunched her mouth up into one corner. "You were the one who told me where to go. I was just obeying orders."

"Ah, but that's the trick down here." He gestured to the spikes. Marinette turned, partly to amuse him but also because her curiosity was brimming. Her eyes widened. The path from this side was clear. It was as if the spikes she had stepped on weren't even there.

"Sometimes," Master Furiel said, "you just need to have a little bit of perspective."

Marinette turned around to say something to him but found that he was gone. She gasped and looked around frantically. A few feet away, Master Furiel was standing by the door that led into another long hallway.

"Come along, my dear. There is much you need to learn."

Her mouth hung open, she could feel it, but she didn't exactly want to close it. This was insane. There was so much to this man that she didn't know. What did any of this mean?

Obediently, she trotted after him. The pair made their way through the hallway-like tunnels. Though Marinette had no clue where she was going, she had a sneaking suspicion that this dude wasn't going to hurt her. She knew it was odd, but she trusted him. She had a sneaking suspicion that there was something more to this man than met the eye.

They walked for a long time, long enough for Marinette's feet to start hurting. It wasn't an enjoyable experience, but she figured it would be better than dealing with Billy again. She was so on edge that it sounded like Billy was right behind her, but when she turned around to check, there would be nothing there.

Master Furiel only began to slow when the pair reached an open cavern. It was brighter than most of the other ruins, though there seemed to be no sunlight coming from anywhere. Marinette raised her hand to block the light, squinting as she tried to see her surrounds. After a moment, her eyes adjusted and she gaped in awe at what stood before her.

It was a house. It didn't seem very old, but Marinette knew that had to be ancient. A patch of red flowers was on each side of the front door with a simple window above them. Marinette looked at Master Furiel, then back to the house.

"Do you-"

"Live here?" he finished. "Yes, my child. This is my home." He gave her a welcoming smile before gesturing toward the door. "Please, go inside and make yourself at home."

Marinette glanced at Master Furiel once more, but he was only giving her a big smile. Cautiously, she made her way toward the door.

It wasn't like it would be too weird in there, right?

*** * ***

"Plaaaaagg, can you please stop?"

"What, Tikki? Are my puns _grating_ on your nerves?"

The creature named Tikki groaned and put her head in her hands. "We're supposed to be putting up traps, not laying around doing nothing."

"Who said I wasn't doing anything?" Plagg leaned back in the snow, stuffing his hands into his oversized green and black hoodie. "I'm keeping an eye out for any humans."

"By just sitting there?"

"Got that right."

Tikki sighed and set down the ball and spikes she had been carrying. "I don't understand you, Plagg. Can't you see the beauty of traps?"

Plagg laughed out loud, crossing his feet and wagging his green slippers. "I don't think I have the same passion for it. Why don't you explain it to me?"

Tikki got a far away look in her eyes and she crossed her arms over her chest. "Puzzles and traps build character! They give the person who goes through them a whole new view of the world. Strength isn't always the answer, sometimes it's intelligence! Other times, it takes courage or even bravery!"

Plagg rolled his eyes. "Uh-huh. Needless to say, I'm _feta_ -p with your obsession."

She snapped out of her trance and glared at him, her wings flicking irritatedly under her red scarf. He only gave her a cheesy grin and winked. Tikki shook her head.

"I can't believe I fell in love with a lazy butt like you."

He shrugged, his black tail swishing back and forth. "I don't regret loving you."

"I didn't say that."

The two of them shared a smile before Tikki turned away and puffed out her chest. "Alright! Let's get to work! We have a lot of traps to set!"

Plagg groaned and pulled himself to his feet. He brushed himself of snow as he said, "Tikki, you know humans don't come down here anymore. You're wasting your time."

"Aw, are you being a grumpy kitty?" she teased and stuck out her bottom lip. "Come on, it'll be fun! You never know the surprises that can come with a good trap!"

Plagg rolled his eyes but followed Tikki anyway. The two traveled further into the forest, the wind becoming chillier and harsher. Tikki didn't seem to mind, though. She skipped along the path, dragging ball and chains behind her like it was no big deal. Though he had been set in charge of carrying the fire torches, Plagg trudged down the path with the torches floating around him like green balloons. Sometimes levitation came in handy.

As the two Kwami monsters traveled through the forest, little did they know they would meet something very, _very_ strange. 


	4. Sewing and Secrets

** Chapter 3: **

 

Master Furiel was quite kind to Marinette, not like she didn't know that before, though. She was just surprised by how open he was with her. He cooked her dinner, baked butterscotch pie, and gave her one of the spare rooms in the house to sleep in. She would never have expected to be treated like family, but after everything he had done for her, she couldn't help but feel grateful.

Sitting on the edge of the bed in the spare room, Marinette pondered what she could do for the old man (goat?) in return. She leaned back on her hands and scanned the room for ideas. On the walls, hand drawn pictures of purple butterflies hung by thumbtacks, though they seemed to have been drawn by a child. She could draw, but not that good, so art was out of the question.

Marinette glanced at the box at the end of her bed. She had peaked in there earlier and found that it was full of toys. Though toys didn't seem to be like the right gift. He had years on him, and she doubted he played with toys. Besides, all the toys in the box had been covered in dust. He definitely hadn't been playing with them in his free time, that was for sure.

Her gaze glossed over a shelf of books, not only because she knew she couldn't write a book to save her life, but because she had seen the giant bookcases full of books in the main living room. She had a sneaking suspicion that, not only did Master Furiel like to read, but that he had read almost every book in the house. So books were out.

Then, Marinette eyed the closet. Furrowing her brow, an idea popped into her mind. Maybe, if it had the right fabric...

Getting up from the bed, she walked over to the closet and opened it up. Inside, black and green striped shirts hung next to red and striped shirts on a coat rack. Marinette glanced down at her red and black polka dotted shirt, debating whether she should change or not, but she shook the thought away. She pulled down one of the black and green shirts, rubbing the material between her hands.

This would do perfectly.

After testing one of the red shirts, she pulled one of those from its hanger as well and laid the two shirts on the ground. Then, after looting the room for supplies, she tossed a pair of scissors, a couple of safety pins, a bundle of thread, and a needle into the pile. Marinette took a step back to examine her supplies. She twisted her lips as she thought, folding her arms and tapping a finger against her arm.

The idea struck her.

She got down on her knees and got to work. She kept her ears on high alert so she would be ready to hide the gift if Master Furiel ever walked into the room. Sitting criss-cross on the ground, she cut the fabric the way she wanted and sewed the pieces together. Black, red, and green came together like family on Christmas.

As she worked, Marinette finally let herself relax. Having fallen down into a monster-infested world had proven to be a challenge, and she was afraid that if she had let her guard down, she would end up getting hurt. But now, with the house quiet and a needle and thread in her hand, she felt right at home. She could get used to living here.

Then again...

Her mind drifted to her family's bakery. The sensational smells, the colorful walls, and her parents. Oh, they must have been so worried about her. Who knows how they were at this exact moment. Marinette could imagine her mother asking her father where she was just before they started eating dinner. Her mind wandered into a thousand different places, each one creating a scenario where her parents found out that she had disappeared. Her mother crying, the police getting informed, her parents, friends, and peers forming a search party to find her...

Though it pained her, there wasn't anything she could do. She was stuck down here. She had even asked Master Furiel if there was a way out of the Underground. His face had fallen, like he was remembering a sour memory.

"If there was, we monsters wouldn't be trapped down here, now would we?"

Marinette squeezed her eyes shut and shivered. That was a thought she was having a hard time coming to terms with. Imagining such scary and crazy monsters invading her hometown - her home - was setting her on edge.

Taking a deep breath, Marinette set down her stitching and tried to calm herself. She was fine. Her parents would be fine. She would find a way out of here, even if it meant bringing monsters into the world above. They hadn't been too bad so far.

Then again, she had only met Master Furiel.

Just as she was about to pick up her stitching, she heard the floorboards creak outside her door. She froze, not even breathing as she listened for any sound that was out of place. Was Master Furiel just outside her door?

As she cautiously got to her feet, she could hear muffled voices coming from the main room. Marinette's blood ran cold. Were she and Master Furiel not alone in the house? Clutching her stitching with both hands, she made her way to the door and pressed her ear up against it.

"-everything all set," she heard someone say. Their voice was a high pitch, like they were excited about something. "Nothing's going to sneak past us!"

"Calm down," said someone else. This one was much deeper, as if they had heard the other person's spiel a thousand times. "Whatever happened to patience with you?"

"Oh, stop being such a downer," the higher voice replied.

"It's my job."

"That's enough, you two. There shouldn't be a need to quarrel with one another." Marinette furrowed her eyebrows. That was Master Furiel. What was going on?

The voices seemed to fade away, like they were walking out of the hallway. Moving her project into one hand, Marinette cracked open the door and cautiously peeked out. After glancing up and down the hallway, and not seeing anyone, she silently stepped outside of her room. She closed the door quietly behind her before creeping her way down the hallway toward the main room. The voices got louder.

"-don't understand why you haven't given up," the deep voice was saying. "Humans don't even come down here anymore. It's like we've finally been removed from their hunting list."

"You never know!" the high voice responded. It sounded very feminine compared to the other voice. "They could come down here and try to kill us all again!"

Marinette snuck further down the hallway, her curiosity peaking. What were they talking about?

"My dear, that happened many years ago." Master Furiel's tone was leveled, like one a teacher would have once a student had pushed them to their limit. "And though I appreciate the caution-"

"It might happen again!" the higher voice rebutted. "Besides, we just finished setting up some more human traps in the woods. They're ready to catch any human who dares try to hurt the village."

Marinette peeked around the corner. She sucked in a breath, then covered her mouth. Her eyes were as wide as saucers. She couldn't believe what she was looking at.

Two... things... were in the front room. Master Furiel was seated in his big chair by the fireplace, taking in whatever information the two figures were giving him, as if this was a normal occurrence. One of the figures stood near the bookshelf while the other was slumped down in a chair at the dining table.

The one by the shelf was dressed in what appeared to be a red superhero suit, black underwear, and armor. Pink boots came up past their mid calves and a pink scarf was wrapped around their neck, accenting the outfit. She couldn't see the front of the figure, but she could definitely see the pair of wings that stuck out red wings that stuck out of its back and the two antennae on the top of its head. By its movements, Marinette could guess that the figure was pretty enthusiastic.

The other thing was almost the exact opposite. The dark purple, almost black hoodie with a green paw print, gray shorts, and green slippers radiated laziness. Two cat-like ears stuck out like no other and a tail was swishing back and forth behind it. Unlike the other figure, Marinette could see its face. It was slightly humanoid, with two big green eyes and a pointed nose, but its face was almost a midnight black. Judging by its facial expression, the figure looked bored.

"Though I understand where you're coming from, I think that it would be best if we lower the defenses," Master Furiel said, not noticing that Marinette's spying.

"But King Agreste is saying otherwise," the pink-booted figure said, their wings fluttering. "He wants us to set up more traps. He has ordered that all guards be on high alert but isn't telling us why. I have a feeling something is wrong, but I don't know what."

The black cat-like figure snorted. "Not like it's gonna do any good since we've got a human on our presence." It jabbed a thumb toward Marinette. Both Master Furiel and the red figure turned to look at her.

Marinette froze, her sewing project slipping out of her hands and falling to the floor. Swallowing nervously, she took a step back.

"Oh, Marinette," Master Fu said kindly, "it's so nice to see you out of your room." Marinette took another step backward, wilting under the gaze of the two monsters who were staring her down. Master Furiel realized this, then said, "Don't be afraid, my dear. These are friends of mine." He gestured to the red figure. "This is Tikki and that-" he motioned to the black one "-is Plagg. They're kwami monsters, and are quite friendly. They won't hurt you, my dear."

Tikki turned back to Master Furiel. "You found another human?"

He nodded. "She fell down one of the many holes that lead to to the surface. I found her just as Billy was about to hurt her."

The black figure, Plagg, scoffed. "That doesn't surprise me. He's always looking for easy bait."

"Wait," Marinette said, stepping into the room, "you know who Billy is?"

Tikki chuckled. "Of course we do. Everyone knows the trouble making butterfly. He appeared one day, caused havoc, and everyone has disliked him since."

"Master Furiel has been keeping an eye on him," Plagg said, kicking his green slippered feet up onto the dining table. "Making sure he doesn't cause too much trouble."

Marinette bent down and picked up her project, cautiously pushing the conversation a little bit more. "What did you guys mean by a king asking for guards to be on alert?"

Tikki, Plagg and Master Furiel all exchanged wary looks.

"How much did you hear, child?" Master Furiel questioned.

She shrugged. "Enough to be curious."

Plagg chuckled and stuffed his hands into his hoodie's kangaroo pocket. "I like this kid - right to the point and with no nonsense."

Tikki rolled her stunningly blue eyes then looked back at Marinette. "I'm sorry if he grates on your nerves. He's a sarcastic twit most of the time."

"Don't you mean all of the time?" Plagg corrected. That only caused Tikki to roll her eyes again.

"To answer your question, my dear, I will need to explain the Underground in much greater detail, which will take some time," Master Furiel said, pulling himself up from his comfortable chair.

"I have time," Marinette insisted.

The old goat man chuckled, walking toward the hallway. "I know, child. I just don't find it wise to tell everything to you now. I'll be able to explain in the morning, once we all have received some much-needed rest."

"But-"

"Don't bother," Plagg interrupted, causing Marinette to look at him. "He's not going to answer you."

She frowned and turned back to look at Master Fu, but he had disappeared. Furrowing her eyebrows, Marinette scanned the hallway. It was like he had turned to dust.

"He does that all the time, don't worry," Tikki said. She walked up to Marinette and gave her a sweet smile. It wasn't until Tikki had stepped closer could Marinette see the small red freckles that were splashed across her small nose and cheeks.

"So I'm starting to learn," Marinette muttered.

Tikki giggled, then put a hand on her shoulder. "I think you should do as he says. A good dash of rest should help us all." She turned to look at Plagg. "You two, grumpy cat."

Plagg smirked, his eyes half closed as he leaned back in the chair so it was teetering on two legs. "You don't need to tell me to go to sleep twice."

Tikki scoffed and shook her head, appearing exasperated with him, before looking back at the only human in the room. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Marinette."

She smiled. "The pleasure is all mine, thank you."

The two shared one more smile before Tikki walked off down the hallway.

Marinette was about to follow when she heard Plagg say, "Don't trust everything you see, human." Confused, she looked back at him. He had one of his green eyes open, looking at her with the intensity of a tiger. "There's a lot that you don't know about the Underground, and if I were you, I wouldn't get too cocky."

For a split second, the green in his eye flashed a light purple. A cold chill ran down her back and Marinette straightened. Before she could debate whether or not the purple had been a figment of her imagination, she turned on her heel and went back to her room.

Plagg had been right not to trust anyone, and she especially didn't trust him. 

 


	5. Prove Yourself

##  **Chapter 4:**

 

The next morning was kinda awkward, to say the least. Sitting at the dining table sandwiched between Tikki and Plagg made Marinette feel insignificant. Tikki would talk with Plagg, trying to pull Marinette into the conversation, but she honestly didn’t want to talk. She just wanted to move. And not only that, she wanted to get home. This world of crazy monsters and old goat men were about to drive her crazy.

Across the table, Master Furiel was taking his sweet time, scooping up his porridge at an agonizingly slow pace. Was he some sort of turtle, because it was starting to drive Marinette to the point of insanity.

“-and then I said, why don’t you just find a better job?”

Plagg chuckled and said through a mouthful of cheese, “Tikki, it’s not like Snowdin is just going to hand out jobs willy-nilly.”

“Well, if Grillby can let you enter his restaurant and order only cheese off the menu, I’m almost positive he would offer someone a job.”

Marinette sighed and finally got to her feet. “I’m sorry, but I need to go.”

“But you just got here,” Tikki pointed out. 

She turned on her, her eyes harsh as she glared her down. “I’m sorry, but I can’t just sit here and listen to mindless blabber when I need to get back to my family.” She looked at Master Furiel. “I’m sorry, sir, but I can’t just sit around here much longer. I’m grateful that you’ve taken me in without question, but I need to leave.” 

The two kwamis exchanged looks, then turned their attention to Master Furiel. The old goat man sighed, setting his spoon next to his bowl of porridge. 

“I’m sorry, my dear, but I cannot let you leave.”

“Why not?” she demanded. 

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “There are monsters out there that will kill you on the spot.”

“You’re a human,” Plagg answered, somehow clarifying the mentor’s words. “The folks around here aren’t huge fans of your kind, what with the war that happened and the incident a couple years ago.”

“It was more than a couple,” Tikki corrected.

“Does it matter when the exact time was?” Plagg snapped. “The point is that it happened and no one trusts humans anymore.”

“I don’t need anyone to trust me, I just want to get home,” Marinette said. She folded her arms. “I don’t understand why you guys are all up in arms about this whole ordeal.”

“There is no way out of the Underground, my child.”

She looked at Master Furiel with a narrowed gaze. “Oh, and why is that? Does this involve the whole ‘I’ll tell you in the morning’ spiel, because I’d love to hear that too.”

The old goat man didn’t respond right away. He didn’t even lift his gaze to look at her until he spoke. 

“I can understand how upset you might be to have lost your family, but I’m sorry to say that there is no way out of the Underground.”

“But Master,” Tikki piped up, getting to her feet and leaning against the table. “Are you not going to tell her about the Barrier?”

Marinette furrowed her eyebrows and dropped her arms. “The Barrier?” 

Master Furiel appeared weary as he sighed and got shakily to his feet. “I was hoping to not bring up such a topic, but though it might be theoretically possible, the King would never allow a human through.”

“Y-you mean, I could get home?” Marinette stuttered. 

The old goat man dropped his head. After a moment of silence, he responded, “Yes, my dear.” Before he could let the words sink in, he continued. “But it is a dangerous journey. The Underground is much bigger than you would believe and the Barrier is hundreds of miles away from here. To think that you could get that far on your own would be only a fantasy.” He turned his head away and picked up his cane. “I’m sorry, my child, but I cannot let you embark on such a dangerous mission.” 

Marinette was speechless. She took a couple steps back, then came around the table until she stood next to him. “Master Furiel, please,” she pleaded. “I need to get home. My parents, my family, my friends… They all need me. I can’t just-”

“ _ No, child! _ ” he shouted, getting to his feet so quickly, his chair toppled over. It crashed to the floor with a loud bang! It startled even Plagg. After taking some deep breaths, he continued. “My dear, there are many things that could hurt you, and it would pain me to have such an innocent human get thrown into the midst of the contention. The Underground is dangerous. The only safe place for you is here, with Tikki, Plagg, and I.”

“But I can’t just abandon my other life!” Marinette shouted. “I have to leave, or I’ll never see my family again!”

Before she could continue, a fist slammed into her stomach and she flew across the room. She skidded down the hallway, stopping next to the stairwell. She coughed and gasped, trying to get her breath back. With blurry vision, she titled her head up to see if she could see her attacker. The only person she could see was Master Furiel stalking toward her. His head was bowed, eyes shrouded in darkness. His pawed hands were clenched, a weird wavy light radiating from them.

With wide eyes, Marinette scrambled to her feet, leaning heavily against the stair’s railing. “Master Furiel, what are you-”

“If you wish to leave,” he growled, “you must prove yourself.” 

Marinette almost tripped over her feet as she backpedaled. “W-what? Prove myself?” She screamed and ducked, barely missing a fireball that burst into flames as it hit the wall.

“If you want to go home, you must prove to me that you are ready to face the world of monsters,” Master Furiel answered. He snapped his fingers and his hands caught aflame. “The Underground has many evil and dangerous monsters. Running amok, untrained and oblivious like an unbehaved mole rat, will only cause more problems.” He thrust out his arm and a circle of fire erupted around Marinette. “You must learn to fight back, child!”

Marinette screamed, the fire licking at her skin. She fell to the floor, covering her nose and mouth. She couldn’t breathe! The smoke was choking her! 

“P-please!” she pleaded, crawling her way out of the circle of flames. “Please s-stop!”

Master Furiel didn’t. He threw out his arms once more and the fire attacked her again. This time, however, Marinette was able to roll behind one of the tables in the hallway. Fire licked the edges of the wood, burning them to a crisp. 

“Master!” Tikki shouted from the other end of the hallway. “What are you doing?!”

“Stay out of this, Tikki,” the old goat man scolded. “She must prove her worth, just as you once did.”

Marinette risked a glance around the edge of the wood. Through the flames, she could see Tikki’s watering gaze and Plagg’s wide eyes. It was like they had seen this before. Were they going to help or not? She watched as Tikki bowed her head and turned away, Plagg resting a hand on her shoulder and looking away as well. 

That was it.

Marinette clenched her fists. If they weren’t going to help her, she would just have to help herself. She pulled herself to her feet. She turned toward the fire, threw out her arms, and shouted, “I’m leaving to return to my family whether you like it or not! If you want to kill me, just do it!”

She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the flames to envelop her skin and fry her alive. She wasn’t afraid. She wasn’t going to let some old goat man force her to turn away from her previous life. Though she didn’t know much about what would happen or where she would go, she knew one thing clearly - one of the only truths rooted in her heart. 

She would fight for what was right, and going home to her family when they needed her the most was her goal. Nothing would stand her her way!

Standing there, waiting for her doom, she could feel the gratitude for Master Furiel surge into her mind. Tears soaked her eyelashes. With a small sob, she opened her eyes. Through the blurriness, she saw one thing for certain: the fire was bending around her. Not a single flame touched her body. Though she could smell smoke, it no longer choked her. She blinked repeatedly until she could clearly see what was right in front of her. 

Master Furiel, with tears in his eyes, dropped his arms. The fire disappeared as if it hadn’t even been real. The table Marinette had hid behind returned to normal, the burn marks fading into the wood. Had any of the fire actually been there to attack her?

With a proud smile, Master Furiel gazed at Marinette with tear-stained cheeks. 

“You are ready, my child.”

Marinette’s eyes widened and she looked down at her hands. Had she really done it? Was facing her fear or standing up for what she believed in the test? 

“I am so sorry, my dear,” Master Furiel started, bowing his head and looking away. “I had to see if you were prepared for the horrible troubles that lay ahead. Though I had my doubts, you have more than proved yourself worthy to pursue your goal.” 

Marinette sucked in a breath, then broke into a grateful smile. She ran at the old man and threw her arms around him. He seemed taken aback by the hug, stumbling back in alarm. She squeezed the little goat man tightly, burying her head in his shoulder. 

“Thank you, Master Furiel.”

With tears in his eyes, Master Furiel smiled and hugged her in return. After a moment, the two pulled away and he rested a paw on her shoulder. 

“Pack your things, child, for you are embarking on your journey as soon as you are able.” He turned to look at the kwami monsters. Tikki straightened while Plagg stuffed his hands into his pockets. 

“Tikki,” Master Furiel said, “you will accompany Marinette in her journey. Plagg, you must inform King Agreste of the situation. Are we clear?”

“Yes, sir,” Tikki responded, saluting him respectfully. 

Plagg huffed, hunching his shoulders. “Whatever you say, old man,” he mumbled.

Master Furiel turned back to Marinette. “Before you leave, my dear, I only ask one thing.” 

Marinette nodded. “Anything, Master Fu.”

His smile turned sad and he patted her shoulder. “Promise me that you will never return to my home.”

Her eyes widened in shock. “Master, I-I don’t think-”

“Please,” he pleaded, his grip tightening. His expression turned dark as he looked away. “Many young human children, such as yourself, have passed through here countless times.” Marinette’s eyes widened, but before she could ask any questions, he continued. “It breaks my heart every time a young, innocent child ventures into the Underground. I have heard nothing from any of these brave souls, so I beg of you, please do not return. I will have Tikki or Plagg tell me of your adventures.” He looked back up into Marinette’s eyes and gave her one final tearful smile. “They will show you the way. Best of luck, my child.” 

Marinette couldn’t help herself; she started to cry. She pulled Master Furiel into one last hug and whispered, “Thank you.”

Without another word, she pulled away and ran toward her room to pack her things. 

Plagg scoffed. “She’ll only cause trouble out there, Master. Are you sure this is the right course of action?”

Master Furiel turned and wiped his fur of tears. “There is only so much a guardian can do for a child. Once they learn as much as they can, they must prove themselves in the world.” 

“If that’s true,” Tikki said, biting her lip, “are you sure you wish to have me accompany her?”

He nodded and glanced back at her room with a weary smile. “Of course, my dear Tikki. I feel as though you two would be a fine pair. Your enthusiasm will definitely be one of the many things that will help keep her going.”

The red monster smiled and bowed. “Thank you, Master. I will go pack my things.” And with that, she hurried off to her room as well. 

As she rushed away, Master Furiel glanced at Plagg. The black cat was leaning against the wall, glaring at the floor. The old goat man smirked and tucked his hands into his sleeves. 

“Is there something the matter, Plagg?” 

He scowled and looked away. “Why is it that you always choose Tikki to guide all of the new humans who fall down into the Underground?”

“Hmm, I thought you would have already found the answer by now.”

Plagg turned his harsh gaze toward the goat man. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he accused. 

“Your job is not yet finished. Am I wrong?” He met the kwami’s eyes. Plagg looked away, shoving his hands deeper into his pockets.

“It’s a lost cause, you know that, old man.”

Master Furiel chuckled. “He’s still your responsibility. All that matters now is how you handle it in the future.” 

Silence fell between the two of them. Eventually, Plagg’s mouth twitched. 

“Yeah, sure. Whatever.” 


End file.
